Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, 2017.
Directed by James Gunn.
Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, and Sean Gunn.
SYNOPSIS:
Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ continues the team’s adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.
The sequel to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy doesn’t quite reach the dizzying heights of the first but it is an entertaining, heartfelt and worth addition to the universe.
Starting soon after the first film, the Guardians are on a mission to stop a big CGI monster from stealing some magical batteries. What ensues is a hilarious opening sequence as the adorable Baby Groot (still voiced and mo-capped by Vin Diesel) proceeds to dance around the danger. Rocket (Cooper perfectly on point) then decides to be a little light fingered and the team are on the run, on the way discovering Peter’s (Pratt) true parentage and much more.
Vol. 2 manages to avoid the usual pitfall of having to be grittier and darker than its predecessor and this is down to Gunn’s fun direction and script that leaps off the page. The chemistry between the actors is exceptional and at 2 hours and 30 minutes the pace doesn’t let up. Dave Bautista as the overly literal muscle man Drax is hilarious in every scene and Michael Rooker’s Yondu gets a lot more screen time this time around. The addition of Kurt Russell as Ego is also refreshing and once again shows how the MCU is attracting more and more world class and lauded actors.
Music was integral to Vol. 1 and I’d argue that it’s more so on this outing. From George Harrison to Fleetwood Mac and Cat Stevens (to name a few), the musical choices blend seamlessly with the action on scream. Sometimes too much recognisable music can be jarring and pull you out of the movie (here’s looking at you Suicide Squad) but with the light touch we have here it works and heightens some key emotional scenes.
Marvel films have tended to become generic in the third act and Vol.2 does threaten this a little as we get a mash up of CGI, quips and blue lights flashing around everywhere. But it pulls it back with a gut punching emotional scene that nearly put a tear in my eye. It’s a wonderful film that even the most die-hard anti-Marvel person would struggle not to enjoy.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Helen Murdoch
Originally published May 2, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
